Who was /is the world's best pilot?

[Mahatma Bag]

This one has got to be a contender:



Hanna Reitsch

Flew displays of the world's first controllable experimental helicopter - indoors

Set gliding records that stand decades later

Landed (and took off again) in a Fieseler Storch at an improvised airstrip as the Russians took Berlin, dodging tanks

Test flew a lot of Nazi Germany's bizarre planes including the Me 162 Komet

And a piloted version of the V-1 flying bomb.

and a bit of a hottie to boot.

[Night Flier]

Surely the anyone in the Red Arrows/Red Bull Air Race?

[miggy man 3]

Snoopy

[cloggy]

Chuck Jeager.

[Semi hemi]

Chuck Yeager end of topic. next

[Simpo Two]

cloggy said:

Chuck Jeager.

Knitting patterns?

[Vesuvius 996]

Mahatma Bag said:

And a piloted version of the V-1 flying bomb.

[Mattygooner]

Spanky Spangler...

[cloggy]

Simpo Two said:

cloggy said:

Chuck Jeager.

Knitting patterns?

Well I was close.

[roboxm3]

Tex Johnson (i think). The guy who barrell rolled the 747 prototype.

Note* There are probably far better pilots than this man but as he's the only pilot I (hope I) know the name of and he rolled a 747 he gets my vote.

[Simpo Two]

I'd put Alex Henshaw on the list - he rolled a Lancaster!

[Semi hemi]

cloggy said:

Simpo Two said:

cloggy said:

Chuck Jeager.

Knitting patterns?

Well I was close.

Closer to jeanette yeager

[Semi hemi]

roboxm3 said:

Tex Johnson (i think). The guy who barrell rolled the 747 prototype.

Note* There are probably far better pilots than this man but as he's the only pilot I (hope I) know the name of and he rolled a 747 he gets my vote.

707 ya numptie or dash 80 to be pedantic

[Vesuvius 996]

Mike Melville.....

The guy who flew the SpaceShipOne and opened a pack of M&M's and took some snaps when he got to space.

70 years old.



Titanium b0llocks. Watch him hold this spin, in a craft which no one has ever flown before.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl3YcA2AvOg

Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Wednesday 16th April 15:12

[james_tigerwoods]

Douglas Bader has to be a contendor.

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/histo...



Ok, perhaps not THE greatest, but he's got to be up there...

[L100NYY]

I am in no way an expert on either planes nor pilots, but, one chap that is the first to spring to mind when pilots come up in conversation is -

Ray Hanna, former leader of the Red Arrows and peerless peacetime exponent of fluid Spitfire aerobatics.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGkQynnYJUk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4sUfoNHBgY

[roboxm3]

Semi hemi said:

roboxm3 said:

Tex Johnson (i think). The guy who barrell rolled the 747 prototype.

Note* There are probably far better pilots than this man but as he's the only pilot I (hope I) know the name of and he rolled a 747 he gets my vote.

707 ya numptie or dash 80 to be pedantic

... same meat

[bobthemonkey]

Ray Hanna.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=141...

[Tim.s]

Watching that Big,Bigger,Biggest program last night was impressed with that guy who made the first landing on an aircraft carrier, was killed on the second attempt.

[L100NYY]

Vesuvius 996 said:

Mike Melville.....

The guy who flew the SpaceShipOne and opened a pack of M&M's when he got to space.

Titanium b0llocks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl3YcA2AvOg